Watching ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ encourages never-ending thinking about the film
By Madelynn Niles, McCallum High School
September 23, 2020
Kaufman’s newest Netflix feature has the heart of a soul-stirring poem and the darkness of a delusional nightmare. It is dismal, it is haunting and, to quote the female lead, it is “beautiful, in a bleak, heartbroken kind of way.” We begin with a snowy day in the city. From the get-go, Lucy ...
Travis Scott Burger Exposes Celebrity Influence
By Maddie Glaum, Academy of the Holy Names
September 23, 2020
A week after its release, McDonald’s new Travis Scott Meal has reached unexpected heights: so successful is the new collaboration between rapper Travis Scott and the fast-food corporation that shortages of key ingredients have occurred in many McDonald’s restaurants across the U.S. While many may view the collaboration be...
The Candy Man Can
By Waverly Younts, North Allegheny Senior High School
September 23, 2020
Since its introduction to the world in the late 1800s, the humble jelly bean has been a notably popular candy. But its best days may lie ahead. In a real-life version of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, David Klein, developer of the Jelly Bean brand of jelly beans, recently launched...
A double standard in rap
By Catherine Mendoza and Samantha Loma
September 18, 2020
The hit song “WAP” by Cardi B, featuring Megan Thee Stallion was released on August 7, 2020 and was met by massive amounts of outrage for its provocative lyrics and subject matter. As avid listeners to both female and male rappers, this made us notice a double standard in the public's treatment...
“The Lost Husband” hits number one on Netflix
By Cameron Ederle, St. John's School - TX
September 18, 2020
Three days after the movie “The Lost Husband” was added to Netflix, Katherine Center (‘90), the author of the original novel, woke to discover that the film had become number one on Netflix US charts. Center said she was thrilled—not only because of the massive media company’s wide audi...
How local musicians have adapted to the ongoing pandemic
By Daniel Bethke, Lincoln High School
September 17, 2020
For many, music is the primary form of recreation, especially if it involves playing rather than just listening. Recently, however, musicians across the globe have been jolted into a radical shift of how they perform or compose music, and this includes many musicians right here in Sioux Falls. Since...
Casey McQuiston’s ‘Red, White and Royal Blue’ is the romance read you’ve been searching for
By Jacqueline Barba, Downers Grove South High School
September 17, 2020
All other modern romance novelists bow down, Casey McQuiston’s “Red, White and Royal Blue” has come to sweep us all off our feet. With POC characters, LGBTQ+ representation and a picture of what American politics could be, this novel effortlessly achieves a modernity that feels natural. Lighthearted...
Logic revives his magic in his final album and bids adieu to his fans
By Ananda Mayuri Chakkenchath, Dougherty Valley High School
September 17, 2020
It has become common for many rappers to retire as they reach their late 20s and/or early 30s. Hip Hop star Logic announced his retirement with the release of his final studio album, No Pressure on Jul. 24, 2020. The finale goes back to his roots: with colorful, genuine lyricism and adept production from N...
“Hollywood pioneer”: Chadwick Boseman leaves a permanent legacy
By Alysa Suleiman, The Harker Upper School
September 16, 2020
A superhero. Darting through the streets of Seoul, Korea in a sleek black vibranium suit, his lightning-quick punches delivering with the force of thunder. The Black Panther. Although the fictional world of Wakanda existed within comic books and movies, Chadwick Boseman led his life as the...
Book Review: ‘Midnight Sun’
By Mickey Lonner, Amador Valley High School
September 16, 2020
On August 4, 2020, Stephanie Meyer released a new installment in the Twilight Saga—for the first time since 2011. The new novel, Midnight Sun, was met with curiosity from fans and critics alike, and received generally positive feedback. Whether or not you’re a Twilight fan, you’re probably fa...
‘Lasso’ way relies on exuberance to reel in audiences
By Grace Nugent, McCallum High School
September 16, 2020
My stance on sports-related films, TV shows, miniseries, or anything of the sort is this: if they are done well and with heart, they are engaging, amazing, and sometimes make you cry (or, in the case of Talladega Knights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, pee your pants) as the hero earns their long-awaited...
New and returning fans share in the excitement of ‘Avatar’
By Shivani Verma and Claire Wen
September 15, 2020
Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. These lines from the beginning of every episode of the animated TV show “Avatar: The Last Airbender” are a phrase many students can repeat. The show takes place ...
A look into Taylor Swift’s unexpected album “folklore”
By Shivani Verma, Monta Vista High School
September 14, 2020
On July 24, Taylor Swift released her 8th studio album titled “folklore.” Unlike her previous albums, this album came as a surprise as Swift announced its release less than 24 hours before it dropped. Despite the lack of promotion prior to its release, “folklore” broke multiple records, becoming...
‘Black Panther’ star’s passing affects fans, leaves parents with dilemma
By Gabriella Winans, Prosper High School
September 11, 2020
Parents of young fans worldwide find themselves left with a decision, following the events of Aug. 28, the date on which well-known actor Chadwick Boseman passed away, after a private four-year-long battle with colon cancer. Boseman played King T'Challa in Marvel's "Black Panther," and with his death, moms and dads continue to consider whet...
This ‘Reflection’ isn’t a good one: Everything wrong with ‘Mulan’
By Ariel Oh, Downers Grove South High School
September 11, 2020
"Mulan" -- one of the most anticipated Disney live action films that quickly and rightfully went down the drain was released on Sept. 4, 2020 and streaming on Disney+. "Mulan" costs viewers a questionable price of $29.99--after you’ve shaved out an extra seven for the membership. And that’s not the...
‘TENƎꓕ’: Mind-blowing spectacle, lacking in emotional depth
By Caleb Jenkins, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
September 10, 2020
“Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.” Over the past 22 years, Christopher Nolan has made a name for himself as a modern-day auteur in the realm of high-concept blockbusters. His latest film, “Tenet,” which was originally slated to come out July 17, finally received a wide release on Fri...
Small business owners grow community through local plant shop
By Christi Norris and Maddie Moats
September 9, 2020
Although COVID-19 brought about the end of many businesses on a local and national scale, the new plant shop “Famous in Oregon” in downtown Prosper grew within the community in an unexpected way. Beginnings View this post on Instagram ...
‘Chemical Hearts’: a paradigm of the male savior complex
By Gracie Rowland, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
September 8, 2020
Amazon released a new film called “Chemical Hearts” on Aug. 21, starring Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) as Grace Town and Austin Abrams (Euphoria) as Henry Page. The movie centers around Grace and Austin’s romance and writing, as they are both editors of their school newspaper. The movie contains fantastic...
A trip down Dart Bowl’s memory lanes
By Madelynn Niles, McCallum High School
September 8, 2020
Coach Amaro just wanted some enchiladas. He was the new guy on the block in ‘99, and didn’t know anyone in the area. So when a man approached him about his football team at the little old bowling alley, he didn’t think much of it. Who was that guy? He asked one of the workers there. Oh, he’s th...
Troye Sivan’s ‘In a Dream’ meets all fan expectations
By Elena Eaton and Mabrie Woods
September 4, 2020
As a sequel to the paradoxical yet harmonious union of melancholy lyricism and upbeat tempo featured in his 2018 "Bloom" album, Troye Sivan develops his sound by pushing the boundaries of indie pop in his 2020 album "In A Dream.” Starting his career in August of 2013 as a YouTuber, Troye Sivan quickly became loved by many. He debuted as a musician in 2015 with his al...
Taylor Swift shines while telling “folklore”
By Catherine Mendoza, Oakmont High School
September 3, 2020
The best thing about mystery is how much it provokes curiosity because we naturally want to learn more about things we do not know much about. Taylor Swift’s album “folklore” is drenched in mystery and intrigue. Swift announced the release of folklore on July 23, 2020. “folklore” was re...
Netflix’s ‘Crash Landing on You’ humanizes North Korea
By Anna Feng, Carlmont High School
May 28, 2020
Out of all the k-dramas I've seen so far in 2020, Netflix's 2019 release "Crash Landing on You" is by far the most unique. The series follows a wealthy heiress named Yoon Se-Ri, who lands in North Korea after a paragliding accident. She is found by Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok of Company 5, the military...
‘Mrs. America’ reifies relevance of ERA
By Sophie Casey '20, Staples High School
May 26, 2020
For me, “Mrs. America” is a gradually unfurling, forgone tragedy. I already know the ill-fated story of the fall of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In the margins of a 10th grade notebook, I scribbled annotations on our country’s abiding inability to ensure equality on the basis of sex. ...
What’s not to like about Project Daisy?
By Grace Nugent, McCallum High School
May 22, 2020
“He loves me...he loves me not” goes the age-old childhood game, also known as effeuiller la marguerite, which originated in France long before the thought of social media was born. The game involves picking petals off a daisy to find out if one’s love interest loves them back. But now it’s mostly...
REVIEW: Never Have I Ever: The other side of The Valley
By Margaret Huang, Pleasant Valley High School - IA
May 15, 2020
The raunchy party game Never Have I Ever is best known for its role in revealing the most unsuspecting people’s most risque hidden sides. Befitting the divulging nature of the party game, Netflix’s new original series, created by Mindy Kaling, effortlessly delivers a refreshing take on the tried...
Stealing art does not just mean reposting
By Miki Nguyen, Carlmont High School
May 12, 2020
When people think of an art thief, most think of either physical art thieves who steal paintings or people who repost someone else's art without credit. Both are harmful, but other types of art theft go beyond simply reposting the work of another without accredidation. Reposting is the leading way...
Welcome to the “dreamer’s hotel”
By Rachel Laposka, Starr's Mill High School
May 1, 2020
Musical genres are weird: there is a vast list of them, most of which are not as widely known as others. A majority of those genres derive from more commonly known genres. Ones like rock, pop, rap, EDM, and classical are often blended together to form a whole new genre. In hindsight, blending polar...
Tara Westover’s ‘Educated’ redefines what an education is
By Jacqueline Barba, Downers Grove South High School
April 28, 2020
In the era of remote learning, where many students are finding it difficult to focus on school work, much less teach themselves new material, many are now struggling to understand what exactly learning is when it isn’t the traditional format they’re accustomed to. In Tara Westover’s 2018 memoir...
The truth behind the lights and cameras
By Jessica Conley, Carlmont High School
April 27, 2020
Oftentimes, what is depicted in Hollywood doesn't accurately reflect reality. However, people sometimes base their career aspirations on what they see in the movies, as they tend to believe that the careers depicted aren’t falsely portrayed. This industry began in the early 1900s when Hollywood...
A guide to the poetic side of rap: the underappreciated lingua franca of music
By Akif Abidi, Coppell High School
April 23, 2020
“Poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world...And makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar.” These are the words of Romantic era English poet Percy Blysshe Shelley. Since the dawn of time, poetry and music have held a special space in society. One could argue the...
‘Killing Eve’ returns with everything viewers expected
By Violet Jira, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 22, 2020
The game of cat and mouse is one we have seen a thousand times. From sophisticated dramas like “Sherlock” to Saturday morning cartoons like “Tom and Jerry,” the trope is everywhere and can sometimes seem as old as time itself. Nevertheless, BBC managed to take the dry narrative and spin it...
‘Uncorked’ finally combats the issue of self-determination in the black family
By Madison Meeks, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 17, 2020
The black community has struggled with the concept of self-determination since Reconstruction. We see this in the history books with Booker T. Washington, W.E.B DuBois, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcom X. The black community has overcome a lot of external injustices such as hiring and voting discrimination and segregation. W...
“The Timing Was Right”: Bob Dylan’s Newest Release Isn’t a Coincidence
By Emma Chiu, Woodside High School - CA
April 15, 2020
If you’re looking for a cheerful pop tune with a catchy backbeat, Bob Dylan’s newest song, “Murder Most Foul,” may not be for you. But, in darker times—such as the current coronavirus pandemic—the haunting ballad provides an unexpected comfort. For Dylan, the songwriter so talented he won ...
It took Vega four years to make ‘Decade’
By Janssen Transier, McCallum High School
April 9, 2020
When current math and computer science teacher Daniel Vega started work with lead vocalist Charlie Day on the six-track album Decade, the world was still mourning the deaths of David Bowie and Prince, Donald Trump was making the late-night talk show circuit, you could still find crowds of people in the park hunting for P...
Conan Gray’s tribute to teenage angst, ‘Kid Krow’
By Lily Langstaff, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 7, 2020
In case you weren’t around in the indie pop scene in Nov. 2018, 19-year-old Conan Gray debuted his first EP, “Sunset Season.” Flash forward to March 2020, and Conan, now 21, just released his first full-length studio album, “Kid Krow.” From his YouTube beginning, Conan has had an incredible...
Donald Glover Transcends Pop With New Album “3.15.20”
By Logan Roach, Middleton High School - WI
April 7, 2020
After four years of anticipation from fans, Donald Glover, a.k.a. Childish Gambino has released his fourth studio album “3.15.20” on March 22, 2020. Following his last album “Awaken, My Love” which featured the hit single “Redbone,” Gambino abstracts himself even further from the top 40 pop...
Was “Self Made” the story of a black hero or another political agenda?
By Cameron Thomas, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
April 3, 2020
To me, black history is an endless story of resilience--telling, no matter how far we are set back, we will always find a way to overcome. To the makers of "Self Made," however, black history is an endless fight among self. Though this may be true to an extent, using the over-sensationalization of the...
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness has taken over Netflix
By Jaiman White, Baldwin High School - PA
April 1, 2020
In the craziness that has become the self-quarantine state of stopping the spread of the coronavirus, Netflix has released the docu-series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which has showcased crazy on a whole different level. The documentary focuses on the small but connected community of big...
‘Future Nostalgia’ is seamless combination of old and new
By Anthony Cesario, Coppell High School
March 31, 2020
With the release of Future Nostalgia on Friday, Dua Lipa has done a full 180 on the term “sophomore slump” and created one of the best pop albums of the last decade. Far surpassing the quality of her 2017 self-titled debut album, Future Nostalgia lives up perfectly to its title by recalling the glor...
Megan Thee Stallion give her fans a sweet treat with the release of ‘Suga’
By Violet Jira, The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
March 30, 2020
Hot Girl Summer isn’t here yet, but new music from Megan Thee Stallion is! Nearly a year after the Houston rapper graced us with her first full-length project “Fever,” Megan has blessed us yet again, this time, with her album “Suga.” While this album was, by and large, very different from h...
Childish Gambino returns with mysterious album “3.15.20”
By Jack Ging, Lia Reichmann, Editor-in-Chief, and Saba Ali, Editor-in-Chief
March 30, 2020
On March 15, Donald Glover (also known as Childish Gambino) held a surprise premiere of his newest full-length album by streaming it repeatedly throughout the day on donaldgloverpresents.com. The following weekend on March 22, the album was officially released on all streaming services as “3.15.20” with...
‘Kid Krow’ offers a poignant look into Gen Z adolescence
By Anna Feng, Carlmont High School
March 25, 2020
What do you get when you cross Lorde's melancholy with The 1975's sound and Taylor Swift's songwriting skills? Why, Conan Gray, of course. Gray's newest album, "Kid Krow," captures both the intense highs and lows of adolescence, from having unrequited crushes to losing bonds with best friends. It...
Out Of His “Idle Town”: Review of Conan Gray’s “The Comfort Crowd Tour”
By Taila Lee, Woodside High School - CA
March 24, 2020
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA— Sad, soulful, and sassy, YouTuber-turned-pop-star Conan Gray is a rising king of dream pop with his down-to-earth lyrics, comforting voice, and growing fanbase. Gray took the world by storm with his debut EP “Sunset Season” at age 20, and his poignant performance at the...
Harley Quinn dismantles the patriarchy with ‘Birds of Prey: The Album’.
By Mason Montano, Pinole Valley High School
March 18, 2020
Following the success of American superhero film Suicide Squad in mid-2016, DC announced a spin-off centered around the character Harley Quinn, titled Birds of Prey, which was released in mid-February and sees Quinn assembling a team of female supervillains after finding herself in the face of dange...
Overcoming ‘Brain Pain’
By Rachel Laposka, Starr's Mill High School
March 16, 2020
Melodic hardcore is a genre not many people are familiar with by name. Deriving from skate punk, the genre incorporates sounds from punk rock and hardcore punk, blending harsh and gritty vocals with melodic guitar riffs. Bands like Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engaged set the bar for the broad genre...
‘American Dirt’ book whitewashes experience of Mexican immigrants
By Jacqueline Barba, Downers Grove South High School
March 16, 2020
“American Dirt,” written by Jeanine Cummins proves that writing about experiences you can only imagine is never the foundation for good writing. The novel tells the story of Lydia and Luca, the wife and child of a murdered journalist from Mexico, as they attempt to cross the border to the U.S. Described...
Miss Anthropocene by Grimes – Review
By James Martini, Jesuit High School
March 13, 2020
In February of this year, Canadian artist Grimes released her fifth studio album, Miss Anthropocene, her first release since her 2015 album Art Angels. Her latest release features heavy, electronic sounds and dark, morbid lyrics and imagery to criticize the way people have abandoned their values in favor...
Can I steal for you a sec?
By Bella Grumet, Walt Whitman High School
March 12, 2020
When I asked my parents if I could watch “The Bachelor” during my freshman year, their answer was an immediate and definitive no. They believed the show promoted promiscuity and toxic masculinity; they wanted to shelter me from that kind of negative influence. Little did they know, I didn't need...
A Better Place
By Julia Poppa, North Allegheny Senior High School
March 12, 2020
I’ve had my fair share of existential crises: nights spent in bed staring at the ceiling wondering about the significance of my life and contemplating some of life’s most notorious unanswered questions. But what I have realized is that our biggest questions do not lie within the size of the universe...
EXCLUSIVE: That Kid spills the tea on his upcoming debut mixtape, ‘Crush’.
By Mason Montano, Pinole Valley High School
March 11, 2020
Last week, American singer-songwriter and hyper pop star That Kid officially announced his upcoming debut mixtape, Crush. The reveal was met with much excitement from the underground pop community, who had been looking forward to the project ever since he began teasing it late last year, and over the we...